Archival Snow Sports

Long before Warren Miller, Dwight Watson, amateur photographer and mountaineer, documented snow sport culture in the pacific northwest. I’ve been browsing Watson’s 1940s era images on the UW Digital Collections site. As a non-skier, I’m drawn to Watson’s more casual scenes showing sportsmen and women at rest – at the lodge, in ensemble poses. As always, I endorse how outdoor clothing from the past resembles everyday garb. There is very little evidence of performance fabrics or ski specific clothing in these images. I love the visual flourish of the Cross County skiers wearing neckties to finish their outfits. Style in the face of a chill!

Browse through the Watson collection as inspiration for staging your own heritage snow sports day ala the great tweed run.